UK PM writes to BLACKPINK

BLACKPINK invited to be "COP26 Advocates"

BLACKPINK and Simon Smith, the British Ambassador to South Korea, pose for a portrait during an event at the ambassador’s residence in Seoul. (provided by YG Entertainment)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote a letter to BLACKPINK applauding the group for its effort to fight climate change.

“Climate change is the most important issue of our time. [. . .] [I]t is fantastic that you have chosen this moment to lend your voices to this critical issue,” Johnson said in the letter.

BLACKPINK received the letter at an event held at the British ambassador’s residence in Seoul on Feb. 25. In the letter, Johnson invited the group to partner with the UK COP26 Presidency as “COP26 Advocates” to raise global awareness on climate change issues.

The group delivered a message on climate change through its official YouTube channel last December. In the video message, produced in partnership with the British Embassy Seoul, the quartet promoted the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference that the UK is hosting in November. The video has attracted more than 2 million viewers on YouTube.

Noting the video’s success, Johnson wrote “Your recent video ‘Climate Action in Your Area #COP26’ was a huge success, being viewed over 10 million times across social media platforms.”

BLACKPINK receives a letter from Simon Smith, British ambassador to South Korea, during an event at the ambassador’s residence in Seoul. (provided by YG Entertainment)

Simon Smith, the British Ambassador to South Korea, echoed Johnson’s sentiment, saying, “The British Embassy Seoul is thrilled to be working with BLACKPINK & YG [E]ntertainment ahead of COP26. We need to act now to protect our planet for future generations. We hope all the BLINKs around the world will join us on this journey.”

By Kim Min-je, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]